Regenerating-furnace



(No Model.) g 2 sheets-sheet 1.

1; 8v S. HARPER.

l -RBGENERATNG PURNAGE.

No. 274.320. Patented Mar.g0,1883.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

I. & S. HARPER.

REGBNBRATING PURNAGE.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. N,

ISAAC `HARPER AND SAMUEL HARPER, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

` REGENERATlNG-FURNCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 274,320, dated March 420, 1883.

l Application tiled October 16, 1882. (No model.)

1' o all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, ISAAC HARPER, a citizen of England, (but having declared an intention of becoming a citizen of the United States,) and SAMUEL HARPER, a citizen of the United States, both residing at Pittsburg, county of` Allegheny, State of Pennsylvania, have invented or discovered a new and useful Improvement in ItegeneratingFurnaces; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, concise, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in whichlike letters `indicating like parts- Figure 1,Sheet 1, is a horizontal 'sectional view of our improved' furnace, the planes of section being indicated'bythe broken linear 00, Fig.` 2. Fig.v2 is a vertical sectional View, the planes of section being indicated by the line x' Fig. l. Fig. 3, Sheet 2, is a transverse vertical section taken in the plane of' the broken liner/t2 m2, Fig. 2. Fig.4 is a similar view of part ot" the air valve and passagemtaken in the liney y, Fig. 2; and Fig. 5 is a similar View of a portion of the gas-valve and passages, taken in the line z z, Fig. 2.

Outinvention relates to certain improvements in regenerator-fnrnaces, and more particularly to those designed for steel-melting; and it consists in the combination, withsuch a furnace, of a newand improved system of supply-tlues leading tothe regeneratng-chambers, whereby a more uniform distribution of air and gas is secured throughontthe furnace, and difculties are removed `which have heretofore placed a comparatively low limit upon l the size or capacity of such a furnace.

We have illustrated our invention as applied to or in combination with the regenerator of a Siemens steel-melting furnace; but it may be applied in substantially the same way to regenerator-furnaces of other forms designed for other uses; and therefore we do not wish to limit our invention by the specilc application shown and described..

In the drawings we have illustrated a succession of eight steel-melting chambers, A,

arranged n line and covered by arched caps A'. These chambers may be of the usual form and construction, consisting of side walls, c a, bottom or hearth it', and pulverized coke or other suitable bed, a2, onwhich the pots or crucibles are set. Below these chambers 1s the usual ash-pit, A2. Y

0n either side of the line of melting-chambers A are built two regenerating-chambers, B B and C G-four in all-two, B B, being gaschambers, and two, G G, air-chambers. These chambers are wholly or partially filled with the usual or any desired form of brick checker-work, as represented at D, and they communicate with the melting-chambers by ports c, which open through the arches b' c into lines b, which latter lead over the chambers B C into the chambers A, as represented in Figs. 2 and 3.

Underneath the chambers B C are distributing-dues E F, which extend the length of the chambers, are closed at their ends, and are open above directly into the chambers along their wholelength except at the cen ter, where arches H are sprung over ports h, which a'ord communication between the distributing-fines and supply-dues I I'. These supply'flues are built under and in line with the distributing-filles E F, and extend forward from the middle of the furnace to chambers or passages L L', (see Figs. 4 and 5,) which communicate with the usualor any suitable gas and air valve mechanism R lt', provided with regulating-valves r r' and reversing-valves r2. The mechanism for operating these valves may be of the usual construction, which is well known in the art., and need not be shown. Air may be admitted to either passage L' directly through the valve r',.and thence to either the right or left hand supply-flue I', depending upon the position ot' reversing-valve r2. Also, gas may be admitted in like manner to either flue I I through trunk S, which leads from any suitable generator.-

The passages s underneath the reversin g-valves r2 open into a flue, S', which is regulated by damper s', and leads to the stack.`

In operation the gas and air admitted to the supply-dues I I', as above described, pass to IOO which they ascend in uniform distribution throughout the regenerating-chambers, passv these chambers, and thence escape on the 0pposite side of the furnace fromv the inflow through lues b, chambers B C, ues E, F, 1,1', and S to the stack. Vhen the chambers B C on the outilow side are sufficiently heated the valves r2 are reversed and the iuow and outflow through the furnace is correspondingly reversed, the operation of supply and distributionbeing substantially the same on both sides.

Heretofore in furnaces of this class it has been `customary to extend the distributingilues E F forward to the valve-chambers and pass the gas and air through `them from the valve-chain bers to the regenerating-chambers or, in other words, the supply-fiues opened into the ends of the distributing-fines and the gas and air were passed from one end of the regenerating-chambers, along the distributingnues, to or toward the opposite ends of such chambers. 1n such construction it is difficult to secure an even distribution of gas and air throughout the regenerating-chambers, and consequently of heat in the melting-chambers; and a length of furnace sufficient for four or live furnace-openings or chambers A A has beenfound in practice to be the greatest limit which can be supplied satisfactorily with such an arrangement of supply-lines. 1t is often very desirable to increase this length of furnace and number of furnace-openings, and by means of our improvement this may be dono tothe number of eight or teu openings and still secure as uniform and perfect v working as heretofore with four or tive such openings. This advantage is secured by con ducting the inflow gas and air along the ues I l to the middle ofthe furnace, or near that point, before admitting the same into the distributing-tlues,and when they are so admitted they are deflected by the arches H in opposite directions, so that the two end halves ofthe regenerators are supplied with substantial uniformity. The dellecting-arches H performvan important function in this connection in giving proper direction to the flow of gas and air in their respective distributing-dues, and to this end they may be made of any desired length, though we have found that a length about 5 equal to the width of port or opening beneath will afford very satisfactory results. Instead of arches proper, deecting-plates may be employed, though we prefer arches of brick-Work, on account of greater strength and stability. The openings h between the supply and distributing flues may be of any desired size and form, a rectangular form being shown as most convenient of construction.

The improvement herein shown and de- 6 scribed affords a practicable and cheap remedy for the 4difficulties which have heretofore placed a comparatively low limit on the size of steel-melting furnaces, and it will be found of great value, especially in large establish- 7 ments, wherelarge amonntsof metal are often required for heavy Work.

We claim herein as our invention- 1. A furnace havingregenerating-chambers B C therein, with distributingflues E F beneath and opening into such chambers, in combination with supply-fluesl l', opening into the distributing-lines at or near the middle ofthe latter, and deilecting-arches H over such supply-openings, substantially as's'et forth.

2. A steel-melting furnace having melting'- chambers A, two sets of regenerating-chambers, B G, for gas and air, one set oueither side of the melting-chamber, in combination with distributing-lines E F, having closed ends-one for each regenerating-chambersupply-ilues II', opening into thedistributingflues at or near the middle of the'latter, and detlecting-arches H over the openings between the supply and distributing iiues, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands.

ISAAC HARPER. SAM UEL HARPER.

Witnesses:

C. L. PARKER, R. H. WHI'rrLEsnY. 

